Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery House Surgeons 2026

About the Company Waikato Hospital, located in Hamilton, is a Level-1 trauma center and one of New Zealand's largest tertiary teaching hospitals. With over 600 inpatient beds and 22 operating theatres, we serve a diverse and extensive catchment area of approximately one million people as part of Te Whatu Ora's Te Manawa Taki region. Our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) provides a comprehensive tertiary service to the Central North Island. About the Role We are seeking Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery House Surgeons to join our dynamic team. You will be part of a collaborative group of four House Surgeons, consisting of three dentally qualified and one medically qualified professional. Our department prioritizes clinical teaching and offers ample opportunities for our House Surgeons to enhance their clinical skills through hands-on experience in clinics and theatres, as well as on-call situations and educational courses. In this role, you will receive support in developing your oral surgery capabilities, enabling you to perform surgical extractions, biopsies, and refine your suturing techniques for the oral cavity and face. You will also gain experience with other minor OMS procedures that are essential for dental practice and future postgraduate training. Our team is committed to helping you manage medically complex patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. As early-career dentists, we recognize the importance of professional development and skills enhancement. Within our OMS department, we strongly encourage our House Surgeons to engage in research for presentation at hospital dental conferences, OMS conferences, and for academic publication. Additionally, we provide support for completing the RACDS primary examinations. For those interested in pursuing a career in OMS, opportunities are available for applying to Senior House Surgeon and OMS Registrar positions, along with assistance for medical degree applications. The department addresses all aspects of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, with a focus on: - Management of dental and facial trauma - Dentoalveolar surgery, including third molar extractions, removal of impacted and supernumerary teeth, and exposure and bonding of impacted teeth - Dental and craniofacial implant placement for oncology patients - Management of benign pathology - Dentofacial deformity correction surgery - TMJ surgery, including arthroscopy and total joint replacement A unique aspect of our service at Waikato Hospital is our management of head and neck oncology cases. We are the only OMS unit in the country that performs its own microvascular free flap reconstructions, which presents excellent teaching opportunities. This includes: - Comprehensive work-up of patients diagnosed with oral cancer - Management of oral cancer patients within a head and neck multidisciplinary team - Biopsy of suspicious oral lesions - Peri-operative management of oncology and microvascular free flap reconstruction patients - Routine oncological surveillance of cancer patients The acute work of our unit is diverse, including the management of facial infections, ward inpatients, and emergency department presentations. Our House Surgeons benefit from strong senior support and the assistance of three Registrars, ensuring adequate supervision and teaching. We place a significant emphasis on teaching, clinical governance, and research. Our weekly teaching sessions (1-2 hours) cover a variety of topics, including: - Radiology meetings focused on x-ray interpretation - Case-based pathology teaching from clinical pathologists on patients treated within the unit - Morbidity and mortality meetings - Trauma meetings discussing surgical approaches and patient management - Maxillofacial and dental teaching topics presented by consultants, registrars, and house surgeons on a rotational basis - Complex case discussions and guest lectures - Multidisciplinary meetings with other specialties You will also work alongside registered specialists in Paediatric, Orthodontic, Prosthodontic, and Special Care Dentistry, who provide dental care to patients with medical complexities and disabilities. Additionally, our department includes three Maxillofacial Technicians who offer support and teaching to our House Surgeons. Outpatient clinics are conducted daily, with regular theatre sessions scheduled for surgical exposure and training, including suturing and extractions. Minor Operating Procedures (MOPS) clinics are held regularly to reinforce the surgical skills of House Surgeons and Registrars under local anesthesia. We invite you to consider joining our team at Waikato Hospital and contribute to our commitment to excellence in oral and maxillofacial surgery.